Australia wants a final decision on the boundary in the Timor sea to be
deferred for up to 100 years so that oil and gas projects worth 40 billion
dollars can go ahead, and has offered Dili $3 billion to put aside its
concerns about sovereignty. But a group of East Timorese activists have
travelled to Australia to put pressure on the government over the way oil
and gas reserves are being divided up between the two countries.

BK: Somewhere between Australia and East Timor, one country begins and
the other one ends. But currently, there's no agreement on where that line
should be. What's making the discussions so tricky is that any line on the
map will carve through billions of dollars worth of oil and gas.

Currentlly, those resources are being shared under a treaty signed
between Australia and East Timor in 2002. East Timor is pushing to have a
permanent boundary set up, but has no right of appeal if Australia
disagrees, since Australia withdrew from the maritime jurisdiction of the
international court of justice in the same year.

There's been some progress. This month, a framework on how to divide
the resources was agreed to. And both sides say they're still hopeful a
boundary deal can be worked out. But those outside the government are less
optimistic.

Tomas Freitas is with the Institute for Reconstruction Analysis and
Monitoring - a non government organsiation based in Dili.

TOMAS: Our people just simply... they think about this dispute, they
say, if Australia reclaim that Timor Sea, and that Timor bed belongs to
them, why didn't they change that name to Australia Sea or Australia Gap?
They just think this simply, you know?

BK: Tomas Freitas was in Melbourne last night, one of a number of
appearances he's making in Australia to campaign for a maritime boundary.
He says he does't want to see his country become a slave to the oil
industry at the expense of its environment - but says the revenue will be
crucial to building a nation that can develop different industries.

One option reportedly on the table is for the concept of a maritime
boundary to be put off comlpetely for 100 years - with Australia
compensating East Timor. But Tomas Freitas says the boundaries must be
discussed and decided.

TOMAS: We've been fighting for 24 years just to get independence as a
new country. We need to have our sovereignty. Our sovereignty is not only
we have a flag, we have a language. But we need our territory, you know?
We need a border between the two countries. Between Indonesia and Timor
yeah, we're clear. But between Timor and Australia, still not clear.

BK: The campaign has strong supporters in Australia - including from
Melbourne businessman Ian Melrose, who has funded a series of telelvison
commercials criticising the Australian government for its approach to the
negotiations. Two new commercials were run on channel nine on good Frdiay
- the anniversary of Australia's withdrawal from the international court
of justice.

But channel 7 and SBS declined to run them. The ads were much the same
as those run previosuly - except for this line...

AUDIO: Stealing from a third world country kills their children.

BK: But Ian melrose says they were approved by the appropriate
authorities.

MELROSE: Apart from being very politically sensitive, there's nothing
technically wrong with them. All the information was factually correct.